Images gone in iPhoto Library

When I opened iPhoto yesterday all of my 12000+ images were gone. The file names were still in each respective location in both the library and the Smart folders, but no images. Clicking on each image location revealed all of the info including the file size, so I'm assuming the images are somewhere. Can you help? Thanks.
John Willetts

John:
You probably have a damaged library database file. It's called Library6.iPhoto. If you have a recent backup copy of that file you can use it to replace the one in the iPhoto LIbrary package. Or if you have a recent backup of the entire library you can revert to it as long as your current library doesn't have any photos that the backup wouldn't. See the tip at the end of my signature below for a way to keep a current backup of the dB file.
Otherwise try the three fixes below in order as needed:
1 - launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys depressed and follow the instructions to rebuild the library. Select all options.
2 - rebuild the library using iPhoto Library Manager as follows:
Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library
1 -Download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
2 -Click on the Add Library button, navigate to your User/Pictures folder and select your iPhoto Library folder.
3 - Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the File->Rebuild Library menu option
4 - In the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.
5 - Click on the Create button.
Note: It may take some time to create the new library if you have a lot of photos.
3 - start over with a new library and import the Originals folder from your original library as follows:
Creating a new library while preserving the Events from the original library.
Move the existing library folder to the desktop.
Open the library package like this.
Launch iPhoto and, when asked, select the option to create a new library.
Drag the Originals folder from the iPhoto Library on the desktop into the open Photo window
This will create a new library with the same Events as the original library if you have the Finder checkbox unchecked in the Events preference pane.
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.
Note: There now an Automator backup application for iPhoto 5 that will work with Tiger or Leopard.

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directions are here - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1198
However it generally is much more successful to use the external hard drive with ownership ignored option than the disk image option
LN

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CK:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. To see if the database file is readable use iPhoto Library Manager. If it can see the slideshows, rolls, etc. than there's a chance rebuilding the library with iPLM can save them. If iPLM cannot access the library then I'm afraid the dB file is damaged beyond recovery. If you have to start afresh here's a possible way you might be able to recover the keywords. Check in the library and see if clicking on a keyword will bring up, even though they are blank, a specific set of photos. If so then you can try to follow Tutorial #1 to write the keywords back to the actual original files. Then do the following:
1 - move the old iPhoto Library folder to the desktop.
2 - launch iPhoto and create a new library.
3 - drag the "Originals" folder from the old library folder into iPhoto's open window.
This will generate a new library with the same rolls as were in the old library. Some of the roll dates may be changed however. The keywords will be retained if Tutorial #1 worked.
Do you Twango?
TIP: For insurance against future iPhoto database corruption that you and many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.

I havent deleted anything but some Images on my iPhoto Library is corrupt ?

Hey everyone
I have macbook running latest yosemite software. Couple months back i have spend hours to build my iPhoto library. Last week i was trying to organize my desktop and folders and I probably moved some folders containing photos so now some images wont open in iphoto and it says corrupt file.
I have spent 2 days organizing 4000 photos and categorized them in iphoto library and i dont want to lose all that work.
Any suggestions?
Cheers

I probably moved some folders containing photos so now some images wont open in iphoto and it says corrupt file.
Where where these folders located that you may have moved?
With the amount of information you've provided it's impossible to offer a solution. We can't see your computer so we need to know the details of your problem and setup, i.e.:
what version of iPhoto are you using?
what system version are you running?
what do you see when you double click on those photos?
what fixes have you tried?
where is your library located?
did you apply any updates or upgrades just prior to the problem occurring?
are you running a "managed" or "referenced" library?
what type of Mac?
how much free space on your boot drive?

When I edit my RAW format images I cannot find the resulting jpeg image in my IPhoto library

When I edit my RAW images (.neff format) I cannot the resulting jpeg image in my IPhoto 11 library.

bryanalt wrote:
Thanks. So it is probably worth upgrading to Aperture?
And you say that because? While Aperture has more features and more capabilities than iPhoto - especially in working with RAW - this is not one - depending on what yo do with previews in Aperture it may be even more difficult to use the edited photos incorrectly - iPhoto is simple - just correctly access the edited photo as TD suggested
To access the resulting jpeg you can export in any format except Original, drag to the desktop or use a media browser
Same same for Aperture
LN

Transferring images from one iPhoto library to another.....

I recently went on holiday and took lots of photos and loaded them daily onto my MBP, however now I am back home and I would like to transfer the holiday photos to my iMac which holds my master iPhoto library.
What is the best way to go around this to ensure that I do not lose any images and/or image quality.
Thanks in advance.

Ideally just plug your camera into the other computer and import the pictures.
If the pictures are no longer on the camera then put both your Macs on the same network and turn on Photo Sharing: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=iPhoto/8.0/en/6371.html
__You can then drag the photos from the one computer's iPhoto Library to the other.
Alternatively you can highlight the pictures you want on the other computer and go to File > Export > File Export > Kind > Original and export to a folder on the desktop. You can then move that folder using File Sharing or an external drive to the other computer and import them there.
And Finally, you could burn them to a disk and then bring the disk over.
All these methods give you the exact same image you imported to iPhoto originally. No loss of image quality.
Hope that helps.

How to transfer images from one iPhoto library to another.

Hi. I run my main iPhoto library on an EHD but I also have an iPhoto library on my MBP. I want to consolidate the two librarys and get rid of all the iamges on the MBP and just have them all on my EHD. My question is, what is the easiest way to transfer all the contents form my library on my MBP to my library on my EHD and will it copy across all my edited versions?
Many thanks in anticipation.....
Nathan

To merge two iPhoto libraries and to perserve all your edits, use the paid version of
iPhoto Library Manager
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All other methods (exporting from one library and reimporting into the other) will not copy over your books, albums, etc.

Moving images into the iPhoto library after importing them

I imported all my 4,500 pictures to iPhoto but since I wanted to keep my file structure intact i chose not to import them into the iPhoto library but to keep them in the existing folders. Now, I want to move the pictures into the library. How to do?

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
You want to change from a Referenced to a Managed Library?
When you run a Referenced Library iPhoto makes aliases to the files in your folder structure. You can replace these aliases with the actual files using an app such as AliasHerder.
Regards
TD

Pull random images from iPhoto library folders

I'm trying to come up with a script to pull random images from my iPhoto library and copy them to another folder that I can then use with another program (GeekTool) to display them on my desktop.
What I'd like to be able to do is pull 30-50 of these images at a time. I can use GeekTool to call the script at a given interval (eg. every half hour) and have a completely different set of images everytime the script is run.
I'm a complete obliviot when it comes to applescripting, so I'm at the mercy of the experts. I've managed to find a couple of scripts that can do something similar with the screensaver, but I'm unable to figure out the script enough to make it do what I need.
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.
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You should post your question on the iPhoto forum.
http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=143
Make sure you post your question in the appropriate iPhoto forum based on which version of iPhoto you have (4, 5 or 6).

IPhoto Library - Images marked: "not found"

Hi
All my macBook info was recently transferred to my new iMac when I purchased it. I added Lion to it from the website.
Now I've discovered that all the images in my iPhoto library are marked as "not found" - yikes!
Pulling up iPhoto all the images appear to be there, but when you open an event, each of the photo's are gray-flagged.
When I click to open it, I get the message that the image is 'not found', and have the options to "cancel', 'find' or 'ok'.
None of the options resolves the problem.
Hoping that all is not lost, how can I retrieve my library?
Thanks,
Kent

do I have to have the 'original' image to be able to find/open it?
Yes.
Are you running a Managed or a Referenced Library?
A Managed Library, is the default setting, and iPhoto copies files into the iPhoto Library when Importing. The files are then stored in the Library package
A Referenced Library is when iPhoto is NOT copying the files into the iPhoto Library when importing because you made a change at iPhoto -> Preferences -> Advanced. (You unchecked the option to copy files into the Library on import) The files are then stored where ever you put them and not in the Library package. In this scenario you are responsible for the File Management.
This is an attractive option for some users at face value, but it contains a significant number of issues that you might want to consider before making the decision to run a Referenced Library
How to do it:
iPhoto -> Preferences -> Advanced and uncheck the box at 'Copy items to the iPhoto Library'
Now when you import iPhoto makes an alias in the Library Package that points to the stored file. Note: iPhoto still creates a thumbnail of the image and it makes a Preview of edited photos inside the Library Package.
Issues?
1. You are responsible for file management. That's more work:
You must first move the files from your camera to the storage location before importing.
If you want to delete files then you must first trash them from iPhoto and then afterwards find them in your storage and trash them.
Thereafter, you cannot move the files on early versions of iPhoto at all, on iPhoto 08 and later you may move them on the same Volume or Disk. If you move them to a new volume or disk the aliases my break. If they are on an different volume and you move them the aliases will break.
You cannot rename the files.
Migrating: moving to a new machine, moving the files to another disk are all a lot more complex.
2. You gain no extra functionality from running a Referenced Library. Nothing. This is just storage. You still manage the files via iPhoto. You edit them with iPhoto or via iPhoto's External Editor setting, otherwise you're changes will not be available in iPhoto. You don't save byte of storage space.
3. If you have the Library on one volume and the photos on another you if anything changes in the path to a file (Like if you upgrade your machine, move the files on the NAS or on to another one?) then the alias will break, and you'll have to repair it manually. For every photo in the Library. One at a time.
Why do you want to run a Referenced Library?
Because my photos won't fit on my HD?
You can run a Managed library from an external disk. Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.
4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.
You're worried about accessing the files?
There are many, many ways to access your files in iPhoto: You can use any Open / Attach / Browse dialogue. On the left there's a Media heading, your pics can be accessed there. Command-Click for selecting multiple pics.
(Note the above illustration is not a Finder Window. It's the dialogue you get when you go File -> Open)
You can access the Library from the New Message Window in Mail:
There's a similar option in Outlook and many, many other apps. If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto.
If you use a Cocoa-based Browser such as Safari, you can drag the pics from the iPhoto Window to the Attach window in the browser.
If you want to access the files with iPhoto not running:
For users of 10.6 and later: You can download a free Services component from MacOSXAutomation which will give you access to the iPhoto Library from your Services Menu.
Using the Services Preference Pane you can even create a keyboard shortcut for it.
For Users of 10.4 and 10.5 Create a Media Browser using Automator (takes about 10 seconds) or use this free utility Karelia iMedia Browser
Other options include:
Drag and Drop: Drag a photo from the iPhoto Window to the desktop, there iPhoto will make a full-sized copy of the pic.
File -> Export: Select the files in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. The dialogue will give you various options, including altering the format, naming the files and changing the size. Again, producing a copy.
Show File: a. On iPhoto 09 and earlier: Right- (or Control-) Click on a pic and in the resulting dialogue choose 'Show File'. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected. 3.b.
b: On iPhoto 11 and later: Select one of the affected photos in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Reveal in Finder -> Original. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected.

HELP! How come I can see images I've deleted in iPhoto library folder on iMovie?

I've deleted these images off my iPhoto library as well a emptied my trash. Although when i go onto iMovie the images are there supposably in the iPhoto library folder but are unable to be located but are able to be viewed. How do I erase this? Do I have to erase the cached iPhoto library and if so how?
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if you option drag a MIDI loop from the browser into the timeline, it's pre-rendered audio sample will be used instead and you will see a sound wave.

I downloaded an Image. It did not automatically appear in my iPhoto library. Why not?

I'm a new MacBook Pro user. I am not understanding the difference between the images and the iphoto library. I've uploaded many images into my iphoto library. Today I downloaded a picture off the internet. It appears in my images and not in my iphoto library. Do I have to manually add it to the iphoto library??

Yes you will have to drag it and drop it on the iPhoto logo on the dock. iPhoto is just a program to organize, store, edit, upload, and make projects with. Don't quite understand what you mean by "images" but I am asumming its just a regular folder. If it is just a folder it will keep your photo files that you put in it but that is it. Does that make any sense? I'm not the greatest at writting.

How do I disable "Add Image to iPhoto Library?"

When you right click on an image in Safari, it gives you the option to add the image to your iPhoto Library. I never ever want to do this. How can I remove that context menu item? I click on it accidentally all the time and it's really annoying. I really want to just remove it.

Thanks for clarifying. Good luck with getting that changed. See http://developer.apple.com/library/safari/#documentation/Tools/Conceptual/Safari ExtensionGuide/ExtensionsOverview/ExtensionsOverview.html for a possible disabling method.
If you want to report this issue to Apple's engineering, send a bug report or an enhancement request via its Bug Reporter system. To do this, join the Mac Developer Program—it's free and available for all Mac users and gets you a look at some development software. Since you already have an Apple username/ID, use that. Once a member, go to Apple BugReporter and file your bug report or enhancement request. The nice thing with this procedure is that you get a response and a follow-up number; thus, starting a dialog with engineering.

Safari save image to iPhoto library still broken?

I have also run across the problem where I choose (right click in Safari) to save an image to the iPhoto library and the only thing that happens is that iPhoto opens. The image is not saved. I have done this on 8 different machines now, all running 10.4.2 with the latest Safari and iPhoto and all do the same thing. I see this has come up for discussion here before and it doesn't look like Apple has solved this yet. Does anyone have any idea of how this can be fixed?

Hi Arthur, I've been trying to figure this issue out for MONTHS. I gave up a while ago but have now found the solution! At least for me this works, some steps may not be necessary but this is what worked for me:
1) Backup your iPhoto Library and then move it to the desktop (or just move it to the desktop)
2) Backup your iPhoto LIbrary plist file (located in ~user/library/preferences or move it to the desktop (its called: com.apple.iPhoto.plist)
3) Delete iPhoto from the Applications folder and reinstall JUST iphoto from the iLife 05 disc
4) Repair permissions with the Disk Utility App
5) Launch iPhoto and then quit (this will create a new library folder and plist file
6) Download the iPhoto 5.0.4 updater and install, repair permissions again
7) Then, move your backed up (or if you just moved it to the desktop) iPhoto library folder back to the Pictures folder replacing the new one that was created and do the same for the plist file you backed up
8) Finally, launch iPhoto again and it should work, let me know, good luck.

Sharing a single iphoto library and backing up with time machine

Alright,
I want to share my iPhoto library between several users on my Mac. I have found an Apple article that explains how to set up a disk image to store the iPhoto library in. This article is at
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1198
However, implementing as described in this article has a very painful disadvantage described below:
I back up Mac's my hard drive to an external disk using Time Machine. Once I've created a disk image to hold my iphoto library, time machine will now back up the entire iphotolibrary.dmg file each time I've added or changed any photos. Now I have a lot of photos, and my iphoto library takes up 27GB even when put on a sparse-disk-image. So that means that each time I add or change even just one photo, time machine has to write a >27 GB file to the external hard drive which contains my backup. Obviously this is a problem and will fill up even my 1.5TB drive pretty quickly if this continues.
I came up with an idea on how to solve this. I decided that I'd exclude the disk image that contains the common iPhoto library from the time machine backup and create a second library in the home directory of one of the users on my machine. Then each time that I added or edited photos I'd use a syncing application to sync the iPhoto library on the disk image and the iPhoto library in the user's directory. This way the iPhoto library in the user's directory would be backed up incrementally by Time Machine in the normal way, and Time Machine wouldn't fill up the backup disk with huge disk image files that have only changed slightly.
The problem with my new approach is that the snycing program that I'm using (Synk by Decimus Software) has some difficulty syncing the packaged directories like that used for iPhoto libraries. I get all sorts of conflicts and I'm worried that the file syncs will be unreliable and lead to instabilities and data loss.
An ideal solution would be exclude the disk image file from the Time Machine backup and then add the mounted disk image to the backup. I think that Time Machine would then correctly leave the large 27GB file alone and only do incremental backups of my iPhoto library. But I can't see any way to add mounted disk images to the Time Machine backup.
Thanks in advance for any help that any of you can provide.

This is a little more simple that all that.
For iPhoto 09 (version 8.0.2) and later:
If you want the other user to have the same access to the library as you: to be able to add, edit, organise, keyword etc.
Quit iPhoto in both accounts. Move the Library to the Users / Shared Folder
(You can also use an external HD set to ignore permissions, a Disk Image or even partition your Hard Disk.)
In each account in turn: Double click on the Library to open it. (You may be asked to repair the Library Permissions.) From that point on, this will be the default library location. Both accounts will have full access to the library, in fact, both accounts will 'own' it.
However, there is a catch with this system and it is a significant one. iPhoto is not a multi-user app., it does not have the code to negotiate two users simultaneously writing to the database, and trying will cause db corruption. So only one user at a time, and back up, back up back up.
No need for dmgs at all. No need for Syncing software.
Note: No Syncing software can run on an iPhoto Library. Period. There is none that can parse the Library database. Attempting to sync two Libraries will lead to damage to at least one of them.
Regards
TD

Images gone in iPhoto Library

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